People often ask me if I use any drum and bass sample packs in my productions. When I answer “yes” they look at me like I'm a fraudulent producer that uses Dance eJay (who remembers that). When I talk with other producers and ask the same question they often say they feel like they're cheating by using them. When asked what they use to make their drums, their answer is usually “I sample them”. Which is funny because a sample CD, and a sample are both somebody else’s work. It's probably worse to sample yourself because the samples are not royalty free.

Quality: Samples found in commercial sample packs are already professionally mastered. It's as simple as dragging and dropping samples into a mix.

Multiple File Formats: Sample packs can be purchased in a range of various formats. If you use Reason, you can download the Reason Refills. If you use Logic, you can download the ESX24 format. Halion and Kontact are also popular formats.

Save time! If you're not a drummer, or don't own a drum kit, then chances are the only way you're going to get the required sounds to produce your drum loops is to sample yourself. I'm not against sampling, I have a huge vinyl collection and an MPC 2500, but when you're producing 1 new track every week you don't really have the time go crate digging.

Downloadable: Sample packs can be downloaded from the Internet.

Royalty Free: When you purchase a sample pack you have the rights to use those samples in your own productions and all samples can be used for commercial music.

If you're one of these people that thinks using samples is cheating, you need to understand that using drum and bass sample packs is only providing the producer with a set of building blocks. It's your creativity that creates the final production.

You can even use the samples to create something totally unique and original by layering samples with other instruments. Speak to any producer in any genre and I can guarantee the majority of them will use sample packs. Creativity is the key.

As a drum and bass music producer I'm always searching for new drum and bass sample packs. The availability of sample CDs in your local high street music store is sparse, if at all.

Hundreds, if not thousands of drum and bass sample packs exist for download and purchase on the internet, but which ones are worth downloading/purchasing? I've put together my personal review of my favorite 3 drum and bass sample packs.

Danny Byrd Drum and Bass Volume 2

Danny Byrd Drum and Bass Vol. 2

Without a doubt Danny Byrd is one of the worlds top drum and bass producers - and rightly so! With various releases on Hospital records and support from artists like Andy C he certainly deserves that status.

Volume 1 of his drum and bass sample pack was a massive hit when released, even Fabio had a copy sitting in his studio. To say that his latest drum and bass volume 2 blows the prequel out of the water would be an understatement.

His volume 2 sample pack contains a massive 440 royalty free samples which includes drum loops, one shots, vocals, leads, basslines and more. Each of the samples are pre-mastered to a very high quality which are ready to drop straight into your mix. I've used this sample CD on many of my tracks.

Zero G Total Drum and Bass

Total Drum and Bass

As with any Zero-G sample CD you can expect high quality, professionally mastered, sounds. Total Drum and Bass is no different.

The sample pack contains more than 1500 samples including sub-basses, percussion, breaks, one shots, tempo matched samples and more on 3 CDs. Their one shots have been used on countless productions by big names since it's release.

If you're a serious drum and bass producer this CD is defiantly for you.

Drum and Bass Sample Packs

My third favourite sample pack isn't actually a sample pack, but a website that offers a collection of free samples for drum and bass producers.

The sample packs have been put together by other drum and bass producers and put up on the website for free download. All samples are high quality and royalty free. Visit http://www.drumnbass.be/downloads.html for more info.